Battery Replacement

[Goosed Again]

I'm looking to replace my Interstate YTS15L-BS. This was the battery that came with the bike (2000 Sport) when I got it, haven't been wildly impressed. I've seen some threads here recommending the Odyssey PC545 but it looked like I would have to modify the battery box if I'm not mistaken. There are also probably some new better then ever designs with excellent cranking power, charge holding, etc. Anybody got any recommendations on a good drop in?

[rossi46]

Hi I recently fitted a pc545 with no problems with fit, great battery-however It needs condition and, in my case i had to buy a new charger too!

[Goosed Again]

Hi I recently fitted a pc545 with no problems with fit, great battery-however It needs condition and, in my case i had to buy a new charger too!

I really don't want to buy a new charger and a few on this board mentioned their PC545's leaking. Was wondering about some other options, thanks though!

[docc]

Seems that leaky AGM are more from under-seat contact than from problems with the battery itself..

 

There are some members running Lithium ion batteries now.

[stewgnu]

 I got stranded on the Isle of Skye last year and had to bump the beast over to Inverness to grab a battery.

 The only one they had that was suitable was a GS brand.  The terminals were reversed compared to standard fitment so it were a twat to fit , buuuut, it has performed faultlessly since...

 It's been laid up for nearly a month recently due to various bouts o spannerin (and my garage has no power, boo hoo, so I didn't attach a trickler)- even so she fired right up like a gud 'un.

 I've heard that the first charge is important for battery health but, obviously, I wasn't able to do this as I had the Highlands to visit.  And most pleasing they were to.

 

Stew

[Goosed Again]

Thanks!

[docc]

This is my, somewhat pathetic, approach to not getting the correct charger for the Odyssey PC545   :

 

Odyssey PC545 Battery conditioning

[Goosed Again]

Didn't want to go the route of rigging a charger to accommodate, went the easy way and just ordered a Yuasa, with shipping $89. Excellent reputation from other riders, years of making a quality product.

Thanks all

[pjguzzi]

unibat are now offering a lithium battery

 

http://www.genialmotor.it/catalog/QUAD-BIKE-ATV-SCOOTER-BATTERY-LITHIUM-UNIBAT-X-RACER-LITHIUM-11

 

this is the one i will be putting in mine. 

 

seems to be a very good deal

[Kiwi_Roy]

Plus one on the Yuasa, a basic AGM these bikes have enough trouble with electrickery without adding to it IMHO


Sent from my shoe phone! ^{fixed by descktop}

[GuzziMoto]

While I agree with the sentiment that a lithium battery is not worth the trouble for a V11, I have not had the same good success with Yuasa as I used to have. They used to be the best battery, made in Japan. The ones I have seen in recent times were made in China and did not last as long.

[redrider]

This topic is also on the wildgoose chase site. I had bad experiences with Ballistic  in the Benelli- A123 cells. I have ordered a Shorai LFX18 for the Café Sport- it uses "prismatic" cell construction although cold weather start procedures seem to be the common difficulty for all. Check the exact construction nomenclature, Li ion is not Li Iron. Li Ion overheat and tend to emit flames.

[redrider]

I have been using the Shorai for several days now and I am pleased. No cold weather shenanigans this AM either. 57F, kill switch on, key on and start. Instantaneous start and idle. The Ballistic could barely do that at 70F.

[waspp]

I recently purchased a lithium ion battery at my local advanced auto parts (interstate i think) and installed it in my old T3 cafe bike and have been very pleased. I just matched up the cca and they had one on the shelf. It was about half the size of the one that came out and of coarse light as a feather. Also you can charge it with a battery tender.

[Trumpetdropper]

I still have the standard battery on my bike and a little while ago was having cold starting problems, even though I was keeping charge topped up with trickle charger. I was relaying my starting woes to a friend who for many years was in the electronics business but in retirement now tinkers with classic bikes. He didn't want to recommend a battery but offered the following advice:

All batteries are poor at conducting large amounts of charge when cold as they are designed to be at there most efficient when they are warm, and this may be as little as just a few degrees higher than the ambient temperature. So trying to draw full power from a battery when it is cold (especially when it has been left for a while) is going to be a shock and the battery will be sluggish.

With all his bikes (&scars) over many years experience he always puts some a small load on the battery first to encourage it to warm up, like putting the lights on for a few seconds to draw a current through the battery so the cells warm, he will then turn them off before cranking the starter over. He told me he has never failed to get sufficient charge to crank a bike over, even when a battery isn't at its best. To be honest I was somewhat dubious, as I have always been of the option that you never put any extra loads on a battery before cranking the starter so you have the fullest charge possible?

But I thought I'd give it a go and it worked, I purposely didn't put my battery on the charger for a week, knowing that it wouldn't be at its best, turned the ignition on, turned the lights on, did up my helmet, turned the lights off and hey presto bike turned over as if it was freshly charged!

On reflection there must be something in this as I have a car with auto lights and it always starts better in the dark when the lights come on first!

Not sure if this helps anyone, but it is something that seems to have worked for me and could save me replacing my battery in the immediate future.